On vacation in California, the spinster sleuth stumbles onto the case of a man murdered in mid-air—“[Withers is] still one of the best” (Anthony Boucher).  Because of the fog, the man in the brown suit arrives five minutes late for the ferry to Catalina Island. If he wishes to reach his destination today, his only option is the Dragonfly, a twelve-seat prop plane that makes up in speed what it lacks in comfort. The ride is bumpy, and all of the passengers—including a honeymooning couple, a film producer, and a would-be adventuress—find themselves feeling queasy. But none react as badly as the man in the brown suit, who sweats, shakes, and screams, “I’m dying! I don’t want to die!”—and by the time they reach Catalina, he already has. Vacationing schoolmarm Hildegarde Withers notices the corpse when they’re taking it off the plane. An amateur sleuth with a nose for murder, it doesn’t take her long to deduce foul play. But which of the passengers was dastardly enough to commit murder in mid-air? The Puzzle of the Pepper Tree is part of the Hildegarde Withers Mysteries series, which also includes The Penguin Pool Murder and Murder on the Blackboard.

The sun rises on a lush stone courtyard, where birds sing and ferns shade an ancient, burbling fountain. But in the fountain’s murky depths, a young woman’s body grows cold… Samantha Seabrook – an ambitious young woman with a chequered past – is found drowned in the ornamental fountain of a locked Cambridge courtyard. The only clue is an antique silver chain wound tightly around her throat.
It’s local reporter Tara Thorpe’s job to discover what happened to Miss Seabrook – but the case becomes personal when she learns that Samantha had been receiving threatening messages… rather like the one that landed on the doorstep of Tara’s cottage the night the woman died.
Together with Detective Inspector Garstin Blake, Tara follows a lead that takes her to the deep and watery fens on the outskirts of the city. But there’s something Tara can’t quite admit to Blake about her past – and it could make all the difference to whether they crack the case before the killer strikes again.
If you love mysteries by Faith Martin, P.D. James and Agatha Christie, you won’t be able to put this series down!
The Tara Thorpe Mystery Series:
Book 1 – Murder on the Marshes Book 2 – Death on the River Book 3 – Death Comes to Call Book 4 – Murder in the Fens Readers absolutely love Murder on the Marshes: 'Wow what a book! One of the best mysteries I have read! Loved it from start to finish and couldn't put it down! A masterpiece! Plotting perfection! The writing is brilliant and flows off the page, the characters stay with you. A thoroughly satisfying, absolutely stunning book! I cannot wait to read more by this amazing author!’ Renita D’Silva
‘Literally couldn't put it down!! This was an excellent thriller with well-developed characters and great twists!! From the first page until the end… a great ride of mystery, suspense and murder… Excellent thriller and crime read!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Fast-paced, twisty… I just ripped right through this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘I have to say that I loved this book.’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews, 5 stars ‘I absolutely loved this book… grabbed me by the throat from the opening chapter and refused to let go until the very end… The story was a fantastic puzzle... all set against the beautiful backdrop of Cambridge and the menacing emptiness of the surrounding Cambridgeshire fens.’ A Little Book Problem, 5 stars ‘Clever, twisty stories, with great characters.’ Kate Rhodes, author of Hell Bay ‘You'll enjoy her books including this one if you like Joy Ellis, L. J. Ross, and Faith Martin… I absolutely adored the setting here. It reminds a little of the sort of setting in Midsomer Murders – quaint and idyllic with some very shady characters. The twists in the plot were plentiful and I liked the relationship and dynamic between Thorpe and Blake.’ Goodreads reviewer
‘A tense, exciting read with plenty of twists… an addictive read.’ Goodreads reviewer
‘A whip-smart read that had a good many surprises and twists… I'd definitely recommend this to fans of procedural mysteries. It was like an Inspector Morse/Midsomer layer cake with Christie for the frosting. I'm awaiting my next slice.’ Goodreads reviewer
‘A darned good read.’ Goodreads reviewer
‘Reminds me of Agatha Christie. Grabbing me straight from the start… will keep you guessing until the very end… A perfect gripping who-dunnit story, fans of LR Ross will love it.’ Chelle’s Book Reviews

This mystery featuring a crime-fighting mother-daughter duo is “smart, page-turning fun, with the most feisty and likable P.I. since Kinsey Millhone” (Deb Caletti, National Book Award finalist). When private investigator Edwina “Eddie Shoes” isn’t fending off surprise visits from her troublemaking mother, she’s spying on cheating husbands, hoping to land hefty divorce settlements for their heartbroken wives. But when the latest mistress Eddie captures on film dies—and Eddie realizes she’s the last person who saw the woman alive—things begin to take a twisted turn. It doesn’t help that the detective on the case is her ex, Chance Parker, who’s none too happy with the way Eddie left things between them. So when Eddie’s mom, Chava, unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep, Eddie’s actually glad to see her for a change. Because there’s no one better acquainted with the criminal mind than her card-shark of a mother. And now that Eddie’s in deep with the dangerous crowd, she’s going to need all the help she can get . . . “Private eye Eddie Shoes and her cardsharp mother plunge the reader into a tale of fractured relationships, mayhem, and thrills.” —Deborah Turrell Atkinson, author of the Storm Kayama Mysteries “The writing is cinematic and vivid, the characters well-drawn, but the dynamic between Eddie and Chava, which reminded me fondly of Cagney and Lacey, is what makes the story. Fans of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich should definitely check out One Dead, Two to Go.” —Max Everhart, author of the Eli Sharpe series “A fast, memorable and entertaining read.” —Scott Driscoll, author of Better You Go Home